Casuarina verticillata
| Casuarina verticillata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 33' |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Casuarina verticillata
Propagation: Seed - sow late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[2][3].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil in full sun[3]. Often found in poor dry soils in the wild[4]. Succeeds in most soils and aspects in Australian gardens. Tolerates salt spray and maritime exposure.
Tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[2] although this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. It should succeed outdoors in the mildest maritime areas of this country.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat: Calcareous sands by the coast, inland on poor rocky soils and on sand overlying clay[4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: C. stricta. Ait. Allocasuarina verticillata.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Holliday, Ivan and Ron Hill. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller, 1974.
- ↑ Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins, 1981.